The History of the "Alloysehoeve"  

To begin, it should be explained that "hoeve" is an old Dutch word for "farmstead" and that "Alloyse" was the name given to this farmstead.

The Alloysehoeve was built between the years 1750 and 1770, the exact date is not known and was originally built as a country residence for the mayor of Dordrecht, a town, some 20 kilometers south of Rotterdam. The farm lies at the edge of a lagoon, formed as a result of a major dike break in 1682. The homestead was built on a dike and looks out over the Dordtse Biesbosch, which was created by the draining of the swampy terrain and creeks in the 1920's. During those crisis years the unemployed, irrespective of training or background, were put to work with spades and shovels to create the polder. The willows, duck ponds and small boats disappeared and were replaced by farmers with horse and plough.

The farmstead is situated on the Alloysepolder which was was drained in 1651. After the mayor left the dwelling, it served for a while as ferry station. In 1800 a large high barn was built adjacent to the rear façade of the house, thus becoming a farmstead, the farm being run by the Herweijer and Dekker families. At this time it was a mix of agricultural and livestock farming, hence the high barn for the storage and thresling of corn in the winter. In the 1970's it was mainly French beefcattle that occupied the stalls and meadows as well as sheep.

When the great Shetland Pony revival began in the Netherlands in the 1960's, there were already piebald ponies on the Alloysehoeve (a.o. Lou van de Mariapeel) .

Since their marriage in 1996, Atie Bos and Jos Aarts have been the owners of the Alloysehoeve. There are still French cattle to be found on the farm as well as sheep, and on a small case these are bred, but their main interest lies in the breeding of Shetland Ponies. The livestock mix is complimented by dogs, cats and pigeons, thus still eminating the atmosphere of a typical farm in the last century.

Jos grew up on the Shetland Pony farm of his parents (the Haïnk stables since 1966) and subsequently built up his reputation with Transy, Marshwood and Dorpzicht bloodlines.

Atie found her passion for Shetland Ponies in 1980 at Mr. G. v.d. Brink's Berckepad Stables in Dordrecht, where she purchased her first pony. Her scurry filly Rosemary White Bays Starlight was later sold and has become a very influentual mare at the stables of another breeder.

Since Jos and Atie got together, they have used their own Shetland Ponies in combination in an effort to breed high quality ponies, and to great success beginning with the mares Deliana van 't Berckepad (from Tom van Bitterschoten) and Daisy van de Stoommolen (from Marlando of Volmoed Stables). Both of these are first class pedigreed mares.

Their descendants have already had a number of successes, which we would like to show you by means of this website. We hope you enjoy the site and this introduction to the Shetland Ponies of the Alloysehoeve.

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Jos & Atie Aarts, Zeedijk 10, 3329 LC  Dordrecht, the Netherlands, 00 31 (0)78 6165860,